Most common designs for snowblowers include a housing supported by one or more wheels and with a handle assembly extending upwardly and rearwardly from the housing so that the operator can hold the handle assembly and walk behind the snowblower as it moves over the ground. At the front of the housing, a snow-throwing impeller or paddle is used for engaging and throwing snow. In such a configuration, as the snowblower is moved forward, snow that is brought into contact with the impeller is thrown to a desired area away from the path to be cleared. This general arrangement, however, will not always operate efficiently in all conditions. In particular, in situations involving wet, heavy, or hard packed snow, the front of the snowblower can tend to ride on top of the snow rather than pressing into the snow. To compensate for such issues, the operator generally has to push the handle assembly forward or upward—often applying a fairly continuous upward pressure—to keep an adequate amount of downward pressure on the front of the snowblower so as to keep the auger in contact with the snow. Lifting the snowblower in this way, however, can be difficult and tiring to do. Further, such lifting takes weight off the wheels, making the machine less stable and thus requiring extra work for the user.